In November 2009, the sometimes-stormy relationship of former Illinois legislator Ellis Levin and Marina Towers Condominium Association came to an end. Levin (left) had been the condo association’s legal counsel on and off for more than 17 years.

Replacing Levin was O’Hagan Spencer LLC, a law firm that had represented MTCA in recent years. Daniel Meyer, an attorney with O’Hagan Spencer LLC, had, along with Levin, represented the condo association in a $40 million lawsuit that was dismissed in February 2009. They also defended the association in a consumer fraud complaint that was settled in March 2009.

Two complaints filed in Cook County Circuit Court by Levin on November 2, 2009, were his last civil cases on behalf of MTCA. O’Hagan Spencer took over both cases on December 11, 2009, and a “withdrawal of attorney from case” was allowed by the court on February 22, 2010.

The condo board at Marina City voted to terminate Levin as the association’s legal counsel at its meeting on November 19, 2009, after returning from a half-hour closed session. The board then voted unanimously to retain the services of Daniel Meyer. The decision took many unit owners by surprise. Owners who attended the November 19 meeting say they do not recall Levin being discussed.

Levin and MTCA first met in 1992

The first time Levin was hired to represent Marina Towers Condominium Association was in 1992, when Richard Flader was president of the condo board. A lawyer since 1973, Levin served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1977 to 1995. In 1983, he co-authored amendments to the Illinois Condominium Property Act.

In 1992, Levin used the Americans with Disabilities Act to get repairs made to ramps into Marina City from Dearborn and State Streets. He told the Resolution Trust Corporation – the federal thrift bailout agency that owned the complex at the time – that a wheelchair-bound resident was reluctant to use his motorized chair on the ramps because of fear they might collapse. This, said Levin, hampered handicapped access in violation of the Act.

Still, he was let go by the condo board in 2000, which selected Michael Best & Friedrich LLP. According to Dr. Martin Flynn, who was vice president of MTCA at the time, David Sugar became the board’s regular contact.

Sugar served for about three years until he was replaced by Levin. According to Mark Ulaszek, who was MTCA treasurer from 2002 to 2003, Levin got his job back with the help of Donna Leonard, who was then vice president and chair of an attorney review committee.

In December 2008, Flynn, who was on the MTCA board of directors from 2000 to 2002, filed a complaint against Levin with the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, alleging Levin single-handedly kept him from running for re-election in 2006 by not accepting a copy of the warranty deed for his condo unit as proof of ownership. The ARDC declined to act on the complaint.

Levin runs for judge but bar associations do not recommend him

In 2012, Ellis Levin was a candidate for Circuit Court Judge in Cook County’s eighth sub-circuit. Six candidates were running to fill a vacancy left when Circuit Court Judge Melvin Cole retired.

The Alliance of Bar Associations for Judicial Screening, an alliance of eleven bar associations, screened all six candidates and agreed Levin was neither qualified nor recommended. The alliance included The Illinois State Bar Association, of which Levin is a former member. After background checks, review of public records, interviews, and a detailed written questionnaire, the association found all the candidates qualified except for Levin. Five associations said Levin was not qualified while the other six described him as not recommended.

The Chicago Council of Lawyers noted Levin’s “long career in the public service” but said he was “not qualified” for the job.

“The council is concerned...that his litigation experience is narrow, and he has insufficient experience in more complex matters. Some lawyers have questioned his tactics as a lawyer.”

Levin found some support from Chicago Bar Association, which said he was “qualified” for the office of Circuit Court judge and “is highly regarded for his integrity and knowledge of the law.”

Shortly before the primary election, in an interview with Windy City Times, a website that serves the gay and lesbian community, Levin said he was motivated to run for Circuit Court judge because there was an opening and “it felt right.”

“I’m surprised a lot of people still remember me,” said Levin. “It’s kind of an unusual thing for a former legislator to be running for judge. I’m running on my record, what I stood for, and what I was able to accomplish. ”

Levin, however, did not win the primary election on March 20, 2012.